Anomalisa (2015)

Director: Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman
Stars: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan
Runtime: 90 minutes

Synopsis: A man crippled by the mundanity of his life experiences something out of the ordinary.

Animation: 10/10

Performances: 9/10
Screenplay: 9/10
Editing: 9/10
Cinematography: 9/10
Score/Soundtrack: 8/10

Verdict: In 1999, the world was introduced to Charlie Kaufman's genius with "Being John Malkovich", a magnificent film in which human beings are treated like puppets. About 15 years later, Kaufman came back with "Anomalisa", a movie in which, ironically, puppets are treated like human beings.

Being only his second directorial feature and his introduction to stop-motion animation, a lot was at stake for the writer recently turned director. We are very quickly introduced to Michael Stone, voiced by David Thewlis, as he checks into a hotel called The Fregoli, a sneaky clue as to what the general themes of the movie are. To those who are not familiar with the term, the Fregoli Syndrome is a psychological disorder that causes those who suffer from it to believe that every person in the world is the same. And while Kaufman himself denied the idea that our main character suffers from it, it's very obvious that he uses it to illustrate the mundanity of life and social disdain that he feels on a daily basis. He seems uninterested and annoyed all the time as every conversation resembles the previous one. Even talking to his wife, child, or ex-lover feels like a chore to him and lacks excitement or drive. His descent to madness is inevitable, and only an anomaly can save him. And that anomaly came in the form of Lisa, another resident in the hotel and the only other person in the film that isn't voiced by Tom Noonan.

I fear that I've already said too much about the plot, which, as expected from a Kaufman film, deals with very heavy and obscure themes without losing the entertainment factor of it all. It's very easy to relate to the main character's struggle even if we don't suffer from that particular condition ourselves and despite him not being very likable. Duke Johnson's input in the animation field needs to be addressed as well as the stop-motion work is absolutely outstanding. The attention to detail and cinematography is immaculate and plays a huge role in grounding the story despite its absurd approach to reality.

Aside from a small revelation I found to be a little out of place at the very end of the movie, "Anomalisa" serves as yet more evidence that Charlie Kaufman is one of the most interesting people currently working in Hollywood. Everything he touches turns to gold, and this movie is no anomaly in his already rich filmography.

FINAL GRADE: 9/10